Shaun The Sheep was first seen by audiences in the Oscar-winning short, A Close Shave before going on to star in a TV series that has been exported to more than 170 countries since 2007.

According to Thursday’s announcement, the new film’s story will see Shaun’s mischief inadvertently lead to the Farmer having to leave the farm.

An “epic adventure” ensues that involves Shaun, Bitzer and the flock heading to the big city to rescue him.

David Sproxton, executive chairman and co-founder of Aardman commented: “Shaun and his friends have a massive global following. We are very excited about being able to put them into a bigger adventure for the big screen.”